Synopsis:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Sophie Kinsella, an irresistible story of love and empowerment about a young woman with a complicated family, a handsome man who might be “the one,” and an IOU that changes everything

Fixie Farr has always lived by her father’s motto: “Family first.” But since her dad passed away, leaving his charming housewares store in the hands of his wife and children, Fixie spends all her time picking up the slack from her siblings instead of striking out on her own. The way Fixie sees it, if she doesn’t take care of her father’s legacy, who will? It’s simply not in her nature to say no to people.

So when a handsome stranger in a coffee shop asks her to watch his laptop for a moment, Fixie not only agrees—she ends up saving it from certain disaster. Turns out the computer’s owner is an investment manager. To thank Fixie for her quick thinking, Sebastian scribbles an IOU on a coffee sleeve and attaches his business card. But Fixie laughs it off—she’d never actually claim an IOU from a stranger. Would she?

Then Fixie’s childhood crush, Ryan, comes back into her life and his lack of a profession pushes all of Fixie’s buttons. She wants nothing for herself—but she’d love Seb to give Ryan a job. And Seb agrees, until the tables are turned once more and a new series of IOUs between Seb and Fixie—from small favors to life-changing moments—ensues. Soon Fixie, Ms. Fixit for everyone else, is torn between her family and the life she really wants. Does she have the courage to take a stand? Will she finally grab the life, and love, she really wants?

Review:

Sweet, comical, and delightfully uplifting!

I Owe You One is a charming, heartwarming read that takes us into the life of the thoughtful Fixie Farr as she struggles to keep her family’s home goods shop thriving while juggling an on-again/off-again relationship with her high school crush, two overbearing, older siblings, and a back-and-forth IOU with a handsome businessman.

The prose is well turned and light. The characters, including all the supporting characters, are unique, amusing and reliable. And the plot is a smart, engaging tale full of quirky mishaps, tricky moments, awkward situations, delicious chemistry, romantic drama, self-reflection, and the intricacies of familial relationships.

Overall, I Owe You One is another light, refreshing, entertaining read by Kinsella that’s perfect for fans of insightful, witty, contemporary romance novels.

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for providing me with a copy in an exchange for an honest review.

About Sophie Kinsella

Sophie Kinsella is a writer and former financial journalist. She is the number one bestselling author of Can You Keep a Secret?, The Undomestic Goddess, Remember Me?, Twenties Girl, I’ve Got Your Number and Wedding Night, the hugely popular Shopaholic novels and the Young Adult novel Finding Audrey. She lives in London with her husband and family. She is also the author of several bestselling novels under the name of Madeleine Wickham.

Synopsis:

This sizzling and passionate romance follows two men whose lives are turned upside down by their intense mutual attraction.

Sam Richmond is a workaholic in danger of becoming the very man he despises—his father. Stressed and sick with worry, he’s desperate to shake off the shackles that bind him to his current path and embark on a life lived only for himself.

His friends are determined to pull him out of his funk and decide to drag him to a strip club that caters to both men and women. Sam is shocked when he develops an attraction to the show’s male headliner: Rico McIntyre. The two men end up in a backroom for a private lap dance that ends up being a game-changer for them.

Because, despite the fact that they both identify themselves as heterosexual, they decide to explore their strange attraction for one another—if only for one night. But one night quickly becomes another and then another, until a misunderstanding tears the two apart. Both men attempt to forget about the other, only for life to unexpectedly reunite them.

Can Sam and Rico embark on a relationship and come to terms with their new understandings of themselves and who they love? Or are they doomed from the start?

Review:

Quick, fervent, and salacious!

Strip Me is a passionate tale that takes us into the lives of Sam and Rico as they learn the power of attraction, how to embrace their sexuality, and embark on a budding relationship that will require a lot of understanding and trust.

The writing is racy and precise. The characters are charismatic, handsome, and intelligent. And the plot is an alluring tale full of familial drama, sexual innuendoes, flirty banter, sizzling chemistry, friendship, heartfelt moments, and love.

Overall, Strip Me is an easy, provocative, steamy read by Justice and even though I thought it ended a little quickly, I’ll keep my fingers crossed that perhaps we’ll get an opportunity to check back in with these characters once again in a later novel.

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from the following links.

Thank you to Gallery Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About Margay Leah Justice

Margay Leah Justice currently lives in Massachusetts with one of her daughters, a cat, and a myriad of characters who vie for her attention and demand that their own stories be told.

Synopsis:

An emotionally layered novel about family, loss and what it means to be a military wife.

Harper Lee Wilcox has been marking time in her hometown of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina since her husband, Noah Wilcox’s death, nearly five years earlier. With her son Ben turning five and living at home with her mother, Harper fights a growing restlessness, worried that moving on means leaving the memory of her husband behind.

Her best friend, Allison Teague, is dealing with struggles of her own. Her husband, a former SEAL that served with Noah, was injured while deployed and has come home physically healed but fighting PTSD. With three children under foot and unable to help her husband, Allison is at her wit’s end.

In an effort to reenergize her own life, Harper sees an opportunity to help not only Allison but a network of other military wives eager to support her idea of starting a string of coffee houses close to military bases around the country.

In her pursuit of her dream, Harper crosses paths with Bennett Caldwell, Noah’s best friend and SEAL brother. A man who has a promise to keep, entangling their lives in ways neither of them can foresee. As her business grows so does an unexpected relationship with Bennett. Can Harper let go of her grief and build a future with Bennett even as the man they both loved haunts their pasts?

Review:

Absorbing, moving, and incredibly uplifting!

The Military Wife is a tender, heartfelt story that delves not only into the emotional and psychological struggles and hardships of being part of the military and the effects they have on both the enlisted themselves and their loved ones, but also the patience, understanding, support, and trust required to maintain a relationship and individuality under those conditions.

The prose is effortless and well turned. The characters are scarred, genuine, and endearing. And the story is a mesmerizing tale about life, loss, love, forgiveness, grief, familial drama, friendship, community, courage, resilience, and moving on.

Overall, The Military Wife is a beautifully written tale with a lovely mix of hope, grit, emotion, and romance that exceeded my expectations. It’s an impressive start to the “A Heart of a Hero” series and I can’t wait for the publication of book #2.

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

EXCERPT:

Chapter 1

Present Day

Winters in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, were temperamental. The sunshine and a temperate southerly breeze that started a day could turn into biting, salt-tinged snow flurries by afternoon. But one thing Harper Lee Wilcox could count on was that winter along the Outer Banks was quiet.

The bustle and hum and weekly rotation of tourists that marked the summer months settled into a winter melancholy that Harper enjoyed. Well, perhaps not enjoyed in the traditional sense . . . more like she enjoyed surrendering to the melancholy. In fact, her mother may have accused her of wallowing in it once or twice or a hundred times.

In the winter, she didn’t have to smile and pretend her life was great. Not that it was bad. Lots of people had it worse. Much worse. In fact, parts of her life were fabulous. Almost five, her son was happy and healthy and smart. Her mother’s strength and support were unwavering and had bolstered her through the worst time of her life. Her friends were amazing.

That was the real issue. In the craziness of the summer season, she forgot to be sad. Her husband, Noah, had been gone five years; the same amount of time they’d been married. Soon the years separating them would outnumber the years they’d been together. The thought was sobering and only intensified the need to keep a sacred place in her heart waiting and empty. Her secret memorial.

She parked the sensible sedan Noah had bought her soon after they married under her childhood home. Even though they were inland, the stilts were a common architectural feature up and down the Outer Banks.

Juggling her laptop and purse, Harper pushed open the front door and stacked her things to the side. “I’m home!”

A little body careened down the steps and crashed into her legs. She returned the ferocious hug. Her pregnancy was the only thing that had kept her going those first weeks after she’d opened her front door to the Navy chaplain.

“How was preschool? Did you like the pasta salad I packed for your lunch?”

“It made me toot and everyone laughed, even the girls. Can you pack it for me again tomorrow?”

As Harper’s mom said time and again, the kid was a hoot and a half. He might have Harper’s brown wavy hair, but he had Noah’s spirit and mannerisms and humor. Ben approached everything with an optimism Harper had lost or perhaps had never been gifted with from the start. He was a blessing Harper sometimes wondered if she deserved.

“Where’s Yaya?” She ruffled his unruly hair.

Of course, her mom had picked an unconventional name. “Grandmother” was too old-fashioned and pedestrian. Since she’d retired from the library, she had cast off any semblance of normalcy and embraced an inner spirit that was a throwback to 1960s bra burners and Woodstock.

“Upstairs painting.” Ben slipped his hand into Harper’s and tugged her toward the kitchen. Bright red and orange and blue paint smeared the back of his hand and arm like a rainbow. At least, her mom had put him in old clothes. “Yaya gave me my own canvas and let me paint whatever I wanted.”

“And what did you paint?” Harper prayed it wasn’t a nude study, which was the homework assignment from her mom’s community college class.

“I drew Daddy in heaven. I used allthe colors.” The matter-of-factness of his tone clawed at her heart.

No child should have to grow up only knowing their father through pictures and stories. Her own father had been absent because of divorce and disinterest. He’d sent his court-ordered child support payments regularly until she turned eighteen but rarely visited or shown any curiosity about her. It had hurt until teenaged resentment scarred over the wound.

Noah would have made a great dad. The best. That he never got the chance piled more regrets and what-ifs onto her winter inspired melancholy.

He went to the cabinet, pulled out white bread and crunchy peanut butter, and proceeded to make two sandwiches. It was their afternoon routine. Someday he would outgrow it. Outgrow her and become a man like his daddy.

She poured him a glass of milk, and they ate their sandwiches, talking about how the rest of his day went—outside of his epic toots. His world was small and safe and she wanted to keep it that way for as long as possible.

Her mom breezed into the kitchen, her still-thick but graying brown hair twisted into a messy bun, a thin paintbrush holding it in place. Slim and attractive, she wore paint-splattered jeans and a long-sleeve T-shirt that read: I make AARP look good. Harper pinched her lips together to stifle a grin.

“How’s your assignment coming along?” Harper asked.

“I’m having a hard time with proportions. It’s been a while, but I’m pretty sure my man’s you-know-what shouldn’t hang down to his kneecaps.”

Harper shot a glance toward Ben, who had moved to the floor of the den to play with LEGOs. As crazy as her mom drove her, she was and would always be Harper’s rock. The irony wasn’t lost on her. As hard as she’d worked to get out of Kitty Hawk and out of her mother’s reach when she was young, she’d never regretted coming home.

“It’s been a while for me, too, but that’s not how I remember them, either.”

“A pity for us both.” Her mother pulled a jar of olives out of the fridge and proceeded to make martinis—shaken, not stirred. She raised her eyebrows, and Harper answered the unspoken question with a nod. Her mom poured and plopped an extra olive in Harper’s. “How was work?”

Harper handled bookkeeping and taxes for a number of local businesses, but a good number closed up shop in the winter. “Routine. Quiet.”

“Exactly like your life.”

Harper sputtered on her first sip. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I hate seeing you mope around all winter.” Her mom poked at the olive in her drink with a toothpick and looked toward Ben, dropping her voice. “He’s been gone five years, sweetheart, and you haven’t gone on so much as a date.”

“That’s not true. I went to lunch with Whit a few weeks ago.”

“He was trying to sell you life insurance. Doesn’t count.”

Harper huffed and covered her discomfort by taking another sip. “What about you? You never date.”

“True, but your father ruined me on relationships. I have trust issues. You and Noah, on the other hand, seemed to get along fine. Or am I wrong?”

“You’re not.” Another sip of the martini grew the tingly warmth in her stomach. Their marriage hadn’t been completely without conflict, but what relationship was? As she looked back on their fights, they seemed juvenile and unimportant. It was easier to remember the good times. And there were so many to choose from.

She touched the empty finger on her left hand. The ring occupied her jewelry box and had for three years. But, occasionally, her finger would ache with phantom pains as if it were missing a vital organ.

“You’re young. Find another good man. Or forget the man, just find something you’re passionate about.”

“I’m happy right where I am.” Harper hammered up her defenses as if preparing for a hurricane.

“God, Mom, why are you Dr. Phil–ing me all of sudden? Are you wanting me and Ben to move out or something?” Her voice sailed high and Ben looked over at them, his eyes wide, clutching his LEGO robot so tightly its head fell off.

“You and Ben are welcome to stay and take care of me in my old age.” Her mom shifted toward the den. “You hear that, honey? I want you to stay forever.”

Ben gave them an eye-crinkling smile that reminded her so much of Noah her insides squirmed, and she killed the rest of her drink. She was so careful not to show how lonely she sometimes felt in front of Ben.

“Harper.” Her mom’s chiding tone reminded her so much of her own childhood, she glanced up instinctively. Her mom took her hand, and her hazel eyes matched the ones that stared back at Harper in the mirror. “You’re marking time in Kitty Hawk. Find something that excites you again. Don’t let Ben—or Noah— be your excuse.”

Harper looked to her son. His chubby fingers fit the small LEGO pieces together turning the robot into a house. She had built her life brick by brick adding pieces and colors, expanding, taking pride, until one horrible day she’d stopped. Maybe her mom was right. Was it time to build something new?

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About Laura Trentham

LAURA TRENTHAM is an award-winning author of contemporary and historical romance. She is a member of RWA, and has been a finalist multiple times in the Golden Heart competition. A chemical engineer by training and a lover of books by nature, she lives in South Carolina.

Synopsis:

What if – to find yourself – you had to run away?

Last year was meant to be when Holly got her happy-ever-after. But stuck in a job that’s going nowhere, and a relationship that feels more like it’s going backwards… this year Holly has decided it’s time to change her life. She just has to:

– End the relationship with the commitment-phobic boyfriend– Go on a proper adventure – Learn to be herself again– Definitely, categorically not fall in love.

Cramming her belongings into her little yellow Mini, Holly drives on to a ferry bound to Spain, to stay at a remote farmhouse near a beautiful village in the Andalusian hills.

But the day she arrives she nearly crashes her car into a gorgeous guy on a motorbike. He’s called Matias and their paths keep crossing, much to Holly’s irritation. Because as she learns to speak Spanish from the locals, finally starts laying out plans for her own design business, and sips sangria in the sunlit village square, Holly is beginning to remember who she is and what she wants.

So she won’t allow herself be distracted by Matias. Because this year – for Holly – there are more important things in life than love. And she won’t let yet another bad relationship ruin everything… will she?

Review:

Warm, cheery and romantic!

The Year of Starting Over is a charming, uplifting read that takes us into the life of Holly as she leaves her dead-end relationship and boring job behind and heads to the Spanish countryside for a holiday to rediscover herself and find true happiness armed with a dream list and an open mind.

The prose is light and descriptive. The characters, including all the supporting characters, are quirky, engaging, and authentic. And the plot is a delightfully entertaining tale about life, love, hopes, dreams, family, friendship, community, self-discovery, and contentment.

Overall, The Year of Starting Over is an amusing, refreshing, enjoyable treat by King that, ultimately, reminds us that life is truly an adventure!

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

Thank you to NetGalley, especially Bookouture, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About Karen King

Karen King is a multi-published author of children's books, YA and romantic fiction. She has had 120 children's books published, two young adult novels, six romantic novels and several short stories for women's magazines.

'The Cornish Hotel by the Sea', published by Accent Press, became an international bestseller, reaching the top hundred in the Kindle charts in both the UK and Australia, and #2 and #3 in Holiday Reads respectively. Karen recently signed a two book contract with Bookouture, the first book 'Snowy Nights at the Lonely Hearts Hotel' was published in November and her second book, 'The Year of Starting Over', is out in February 2019.

She is also under contract at Littwitz Press, her book “Rise of the Soul Catchers” was published in April 2018.

Synopsis:

I’m the kind of guy who believes that everyone deserves the best legal representation money can buy—which just so happens to be me, Lucas Wright. Give me your henpecked, your cuckolded, your irreconcilable differences yearning to break free! And if you’re the bad guy in your marriage, that’s cool too. Your green is as good as anyone’s.

Tell that to Trinity Jones. It’s my job to destroy her sister—the soon-to-be ex-wife of my a-hole of a client—and Trinity’s “big sis” instincts are dialed up to the max. I admire that. I admire her. But she won’t stop me from representing my client to the best of my ability.

Not even if my chemistry with Trinity is undeniable. Not even if we can’t keep our hands off each other. Not even if she injects life into a heart assumed to be long dead.Because when faced with a choice between love and duty, the job will always win—or at least that’s what I thought before I met Trinity . . . and suddenly conflict of interest never felt so right.

Review:

Cute, amusing, and intimate!

Illegally Yours is a passionate, lighthearted story that takes us back to Chicago and into the lives of the spirited, kindhearted Trinity and the cocky, charming, Lucas as they both discover there’s more to life than familial responsibility and work.

The writing is crisp and sharp. The characters are supportive, dependable, and multi-layered. And the plot is an alluring tale full of sizzling attraction, heartfelt emotion, friendship, family, understanding, compromise, undeniable chemistry, delicious romance, and whiskey.

Illegally Yours is the second title in the Laws of Attraction series, and once again Meader has written a tender, cheeky, delightfully absorbing tale that left me entertained, satisfied and undoubtedly eager for more.

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

Thank you to NetGalley, especially Random House – Loveswept, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About Kate Meader

Originally from Ireland, Kate Meader cut her romance reader teeth on Maeve Binchy and Jilly Cooper novels, with some Harlequins thrown in for variety. Give her tales about brooding mill owners, oversexed equestrians, and men who can rock an apron, a fire hose, or a hockey stick, and she's there. Now based in Chicago, she writes sexy contemporary romance with alpha heroes and strong heroines (and heroes) who can match their men quip for quip.

Synopsis:

Two estranged sisters, raised in Brooklyn and each burdened with her own shocking secret, are reunited at the Springfield Armory in the early days of WWII. While one sister lives in relative ease on the bucolic Armory campus as an officer’s wife, the other arrives as a war widow and takes a position in the Armory factories as a “soldier of production.” Resentment festers between the two, and secrets are shattered when a mysterious figure from the past reemerges in their lives.

Review:

Expressive, thoughtful, and intriguing!

The Wartime Sistersis a fascinating, sentimental story of two Jewish sisters, Ruth, the smart, dependable one, and Millie, the beautiful, irresponsible one, and their struggle to understand, accept, support, unite, and show compassion for each other in a time of personal and global instability and turmoil.

The writing is clear and precise. The characters are strong, hardworking, and determined. And the plot takes us back to the early 1940s, from Brooklyn, NY to Springfield, Massachusetts, and tells the story of two lives filled with loneliness, abuse, inequity, friction, discontent, secrets, loss, rivalry, heartbreak, motherhood, friendship, and war.

The Wartime Sisters is truly a delightful blend of compelling fiction, historical facts, and heartfelt emotion. It’s an engaging, nostalgic tale that reminds us of the complex relationship that can exist between sisters and highlights Loigman’s remarkable knowledge and research into a time and place often unknown, forgotten or overlooked.

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

Thank you to St. Martins Press for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About Lynda Cohen Loigman

Lynda Cohen Loigman grew up in Longmeadow, Massachusetts. She received a B.A. in English and American Literature from Harvard College and a law degree from Columbia Law School. Lynda practiced trusts and estates law in New York City for eight years before moving out of the city to raise her two children with her husband. She wrote The Two-Family House while she was a student of the Writing Institute at Sarah Lawrence College. The Two-Family House was chosen by Goodreads as a best book of the month for March, 2016, and was a nominee for the Goodreads 2016 Choice Awards in Historical Fiction. Lynda's second novel, The Wartime Sisters, will be published on January 22, 2019.

Synopsis:

When the stakes are this high, it’s game on. . . .Cam Brickley and his pro hockey teammates bet on everything: who can win five faceoffs in a row, who can do forty pushups in less than a minute, who can eat a ghost pepper without puking. But when his buddies bet him he can’t date the same woman—like, say, the hot blonde over at the bar—for two months and not fall in love, he’ll take that bet all day. Then he’ll laugh all the way to the hockey arena, where they’ll be washing his jock straps for the rest of the season, because Cam’s never giving up his bachelor lifestyle.

Olivia Lockwood, heiress to the Lockwood Industries fortune, is used to people using her for her money and family connections. When Cam Brickley hits on her in a club, Olivia’s first instinct is to brush him off. But he couldn’t be using her for her money, since he has more than enough of his own. Cam’s gorgeous and built, and it would be no hardship to go out with him . . . besides, he’d be the perfect spokesperson for the children’s charity she works with. Maybe it’s time for her to start using people.

Cam and Olivia are both in it for something. What they don’t know yet is that they’re playing for keeps.

Review:

Sporty, Sexy, and Sweet!

Game On is a passionate, lighthearted RomCom about the focused, determined Olivia who has no problem going on a few harmless dates with a hunky athlete if it means some free publicity for her children’s foundation and the hard-bodied, delicious Cam who’s so happy being a bachelor that he has no problem betting on his ability to not fall in love.

The writing is crisp and light. The characters, including all the supporting characters, are charismatic, fun-loving, and kind. And the plot is the perfect blend of heat, drama, emotion, humour, sassy banter, chemistry, friendship, love, and hockey.

Game On is the eighth and final story in the Aces Hockey series, and even though it’s a little bittersweet to say goodbye to the characters we’ve come to know and love from the previous novels, it is nevertheless a fabulous ending to a superb series that I will undoubtedly miss.

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

Thank you to NetGalley, especially Random House – Loveswept, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About Kelly Jamieson

Kelly Jamieson is a USA Today bestselling author of over 40 romance novels and novellas. Her writing has been described as “emotionally complex”, “sweet and satisfying” and “blisteringly sexy”. She likes black coffee, white wine and high heels…and of course cheering on her Winnipeg Jets during hockey season!

Synopsis:

Old wounds, new directions, and a forever worth chasing.

Malcolm Montgomery was a history teacher and track coach until an accident left him with two broken legs. He’ll recover, but life has knocked his feet out twice now. He’s not sure if he’s ready to try again, especially when it comes to love—and slick guys like Brian Kenway. Still, he needs help mentoring the school’s LGBTQ society, so he asks Brian to take some responsibility.

Brian has been hiding behind his reputation as a liar and a cheat for so long that he actually believes he’s that guy—until his nephew, Josh, turns up on his couch, tossed out for being gay. Brian has never considered being a father, but he knows all about being rejected by loved ones. Now Brian wants to be more: a partner for Mal and a role model for Josh.

But when Mal’s recovery is set back and the sad truth of Brian’s past is revealed, the forever they’ve been chasing seems even further from their grasps. It’ll take a rescue effort to revive their sense of worth and make Brian, Mal, and Josh into a family of their own.

Review:

Intimate, sensuous, and timely!

Chasing Forever is a passionate, heartwarming tale that takes us into the lives of Malcolm and Brian as they each must learn to cope with the baggage from their past, overcome their insecurities, fight for what they truly want, and work together to create a haven for the kids in their community.

The writing is sincere and heartfelt. The characters are flawed, caring, and genuine. And the plot is an alluring, push-pull storyline filled with friendship, family, tension, responsibility, support, humor, shameless flirting, angst, heartbreak, and unconditional love.

Overall, Chasing Forever is a well written, provocative, emotional story by Jensen that does an excellent job of highlighting the challenges, prejudices, and ignorance faced by those in the LGBTQIA community and reminds us just how much guidance and support all teens require when discovering and embracing their sexual identity.

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following link.

Thank you to NetGalley and Riptide Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About Kelly Jensen

If aliens ever do land on Earth, Kelly will not be prepared, despite having read over a hundred stories of the apocalypse. Still, she will pack her precious books into a box and carry them with her as she strives to survive. It’s what bibliophiles do.

Kelly is the author of a number of novels, novellas and short stories, including the Chaos Station series, co-written with Jenn Burke. Some of what she writes is speculative in nature, but mostly it’s just about a guy losing his socks and/or burning dinner. Because life isn’t all conquering aliens and mountain peaks. Sometimes finding a happy ever after is all the adventure we need.

Synopsis:

BUD/S: six months of the most intense training there is. It’s survival of the toughest, and Matt Knytych is determined to come out the other side a Navy SEAL.

Distraction is life or death. And just the sight of former marine Shane Hovland is enough to shake Matt’s concentration.

Shane came to BUD/S training ready to prove himself—again. Semper Fi is forever, but he needs a new start. Not this dangerous heat with a man he barely knows.

Everything they’ve ever wanted is riding on a thin, punishing line. And they’ll have to fight for more than just each other if they want to make it through intact.

After all, the only easy day was yesterday.

Review:

Sexy, sweet, and evocative!

Loving a Warrior is a passionate, military romance that delves into the rigorous physical, emotional, and psychological demands involved in becoming a Navy Seal, and touches on the patience, understanding, support, and trust required to maintain a relationship under those conditions.

The writing is informative and authentic. The characters are rugged, single-minded, and encouraging. And the plot is a slow-burning tale full of explosive chemistry, undeniable attraction, grit, determination, perseverance, sacrifice, competition, and love.

Overall, even though I didn’t find Loving a Warrior as raw and emotional as Hansen’s previous novel, Point of Contact, it is still an intense, enjoyable, enlightening read that showcases her exceptional knowledge into the expectations, pressures, and challenges of Navy life.

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

Thank you to Carina Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About Melanie Hansen

Melanie Hansen has spent time in Texas and Florida prisons…for work. She’s been in a room with a 17-year-old mass murderer who was also one of the most soft-spoken and polite teenagers she’s ever met. After a 13-year career as a court reporter, she can tell many stories both hilarious and heartbreaking.

She grew up with an Air Force dad, and ended up marrying a Navy man. After living and working all over the country, she hopes to bring these rich and varied life experiences to her stories about people finding love amidst real-life struggles.

Melanie left the stressful world of the courtroom behind and now enjoys a rewarding career transcribing for a deaf student. She currently lives in Arizona with her husband and two sons.

Synopsis:

One hard-nosed military police officer.

One overly enthusiastic elf.

One poorly timed snowstorm.

Is it a recipe for disaster? Or a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for holiday romance?

Teddy MacNally loves Christmas and everything that goes along with it. When he plays an elf for his charity’s events, he never expects to be paired with a Scrooge masquerading as Santa Claus. His new mission: make the holiday-hating soldier believe he was born to say ho-ho-ho.

Sergeant Major Nicholas Nowicki doesn’t do Santa, but he’s army to his blood. When his CO asks an unusual favor, Nick of course obliges. The elf to his Kris Kringle? Tempting. Too tempting—Nick’s only in town for another month, and Teddy’s too young, too cheerful and too nice for a one-night stand.

The slow, sexy make-out sessions while Teddy and Nick are alone and snowbound, though, feel like anything but a quick hookup. As a stress-free holiday fling turns into Christmas all year round, Teddy can’t imagine his life without Nick. And Nick’s days on the base may be coming to a close, but he doesn’t plan on leaving anything, or anyone, behind.

Review:

Warm, romantic, and festive!

Better Not Pout is a sweet, tender, captivating novel that features the kindhearted, fun-loving Teddy, and the grouchy, mature Nick as they discover that the heart wants whom the heart wants, and sometimes opposites really do attract.

The writing is heartfelt and comforting. The characters are winsome, dependable, and genuine. And the lighthearted plot is a charming mix of undeniable attraction, sizzling chemistry, Christmas celebrations, charity, patience, understanding, new journeys, and taking chances.

Overall, Better Not Pout is a delightfully merry, passionate, humorous tale that reminds us that the holiday season is truly a time for family, magic, love, and giving.

This book is available now.

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Thank you to Carina Press for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About Annabeth Albert

Frequent tweeter, professional grammar nerd, and obsessive reader, Annabeth Albert is also a Pacific Northwest romance writer in a variety of subgenres.

Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. In between searching out dark heroes to redeem, she works a rewarding day job and wrangles two toddlers.

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Read & Reviewed

This is a steamy, contemporary romance novel.
The characters are quirky, charming, and engaging. And the story is smart, sexy, and at times laugh-out-loud funny.
This is truly a hot rom com, that mixes interesting characters, a comic b...

Danielle Steel is an icon in the contemporary romance genre. And although this wasn't my favourite, it was a good read.
This is, ultimately, a story about discovery. The discovery of not only priceless jewels, but also family secrets, l...

This is a very interesting and intriguing story.
It is a sobering novel that reminds us that life is short and precious, and that everyone and everything that enters our life shapes us in some way and makes us who we are today.
It touc...

I would give this 4.5 stars!
This is a great mystery. In fact, it is one of my favourite reads, in this genre, so far this year.
It is a riveting, intense, suspenseful story, with a side of romance, that starts with a murder in a court...

Elle Casey writes great contemporary romance. I really enjoyed the first book in the Bourbon Street Boys series and this one was just as good.
It has everything you want, and more, in a romance novel. It is flirty, fun, and packed full ...